July 2014 – Page 72 – North Platte Post Archive

Rockies Activate 3B Arenado from 15-Day DL

Posted on July 3, 2014

DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Rockies have activated third baseman Nolan Arenado from the 15-day disabled list and optioned left-hander Christian Friedrich to Triple-A Colorado Springs.

Arenado is set to play Thursday night and bat sixth against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the opener of a four-game series.

Arenado broke the middle finger on his left hand sliding into second base in Atlanta on May 23. Arenado won a Gold Glove last year as a rookie. He is hitting .305.

The Rockies were 10-27 without him in the lineup.

Friedrich was 0-3 with a 9.45 ERA in three starts since being recalled June 21.

Smith Competes at Caribbean Basketball Championships

Posted on July 3, 2014

Tortola. British Virgin Islands – Husker senior forward Leslee Smith is back home in his native country this week, representing the British Virgin Islands in the FIBA Caribbean Basketball Championships.

Smith, a 6-8 forward, has helped the British Virgin Islands to a 2-0 start in the preliminary round, averaging 8.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. He opened competition with nine points and four rebounds in 20 minutes of work a 99-63 win over Guyana on Tuesday and had eight points, four rebounds, four steals and a pair of blocked shots in 19 minutes in an 81-77 win over Barbados last night.

The British Virgin Islands will take on the Virgin Islands tonight (Thursday) at 8 p.m. (CT) in a matchup of unbeaten teams in Group B, while both teams will advance to the semifinals as the top two finishers in the group.

The semifinals take place on Friday with the championship round set for Saturday. Antigua, Bahamas, Cuba and St. Vincent and the Grenadines are the other nations in the eight-team event. The top three teams earn berths to Centrobasket Championship where they compete for spots in the FIBA Americas Championship, from which they can qualify for the FIBA World Cup/Championship or the Olympic Games.

Smith played a major role in the Huskers reaching the 2014 NCAA Tournament, as he played in all 32 games and averaged 5.4 points on a team-high 52 percent shooting and 4.8 rebounds per game to rank third on the team in rebounding. Despite making only one start, Smith led the Huskers with three double-doubles and ranked ninth among Big Ten played with five double-figure rebound efforts in 2013-14.

This is the second time he has played for the British Virgin Islands in International competition, as he played in five games in the 2009 Caribbean Basketball Championships for his native country.

Smith’s competition this week will be the first of two international competitions for Huskers, as Tai Webster will play for New Zealand later this summer.

College Presidents Say No to Unions for Athletes

Posted on July 3, 2014

WASHINGTON (AP) — A national organization representing college and university presidents is disputing a federal ruling that students who receive college athletic scholarships are essentially employees of their schools and thus entitled to join unions and exercise collective-bargaining rights.

Student-athletes participate for their own benefit; they do not render services for compensation, said the 1,800 member American Council on Education.

Ahead of a midnight deadline, the council filed a 30-page friend-of-the court brief taking strong issue with the ruling earlier this year by a National Labor Relations Board regional director that allows college athletes at Northwestern University to unionize.

The full labor board is weighing the case.

In its own brief, the fledgling College Athletes Players Association argues that Northwestern football is a commercial enterprise from which the university derives substantial financial benefits.

Ex-NFL Players: Concussion Settlement ‘Lousy Deal’

Posted on July 3, 2014

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Seven retired NFL players are objecting to a proposed settlement of concussion claims, calling it a “lousy deal” for ex-players whose symptoms don’t qualify them for compensation.

The players’ lawyers filed a motion in federal court in Philadelphia on Wednesday urging a judge to reject the settlement between the NFL and up to 20,000 retired players.

The NFL last month agreed to remove a $675 million cap on damages from thousands of claims. A judge must approve.

The settlement is designed to last at least 65 years and cover retirees who develop Lou Gehrig’s disease and other neurological problems.

The former players who object say the deal excludes players with symptoms of a degenerative brain condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy or suffering from milder brain injuries. They say it also excludes veterans of the defunct NFL Europe.

Autopsy: Soccer Referee’s Death Ruled Homicide

Posted on July 3, 2014

DETROIT (AP) — The local medical examiner says a referee who died after being punched during a soccer game near Detroit was killed during a homicide.

The Wayne County medical examiner’s office says an autopsy was conducted Thursday on 44-year-old John Bieniewicz (BEN’-uh-wits). Office spokeswoman Mary Mazur says the autopsy determined he died from blunt force trauma to the neck.

Police say 36-year-old Baseel Abdul-Amir Saad threw the punch during an adult-league soccer game Sunday in Livonia, a Detroit suburb. Bieniewicz, who lived in nearby Westland, died two days later.

Prosecutors have charged Saad with assault with intent to do great bodily harm. But they say the charges against the Dearborn man are being reviewed and could be amended in light of Bieniewicz’s death.

Saad’s attorney says his client is innocent.

Judge Orders Agencies to Turn Over Documents on Nikko Jenkins

Posted on July 3, 2014July 3, 2014

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A judge has ordered local and state agencies to turn over documents pertaining to a Nebraska inmate who killed four people just days after being released from prison.

Lancaster County District Judge Stephanie Stacy on Thursday ordered the state corrections department and others to submit remaining documents about 27-year-old Nikko Jenkins. The agencies initially refused the request from a subpoena.

Jenkins was convicted of killing four people in Omaha last year. Prosecutors say he killed the victims just days after being released from prison.

A legislative committee is reviewing Jenkins’ time in prison and the practices in place regarding solitary confinement and mental health treatment. They plan to use Jenkins as a case study on prison practices that may not be working right.

Waitresses at Colorado Eatery Carry Loaded Guns

Posted on July 3, 2014July 3, 2014

RIFLE, Colo. (AP) — A Western Colorado restaurant doesn’t just allow its customers to openly carry guns. Its waitresses carry loaded weapons right on their hips.

At Shooters Grill in the river town of Rifle, open display of firearms is encouraged. It’s a tribute to Colorado law that allows citizens to carry concealed weapons into willing commercial establishments.

Shooters Grill does. And along with burgers and other fare, the grill hosts training that qualifies customers for concealed carry permits in Colorado and Utah. The $75 price tag includes dinner.

Owner Lauren Boebert said she’s simply allowing customers and employees to exercise their constitutional right.

Jennifer Hope of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America says her group doesn’t encourage people carrying guns “as a public display in places like stores or restaurants.”

Omaha Teen Injured in Shooting at Friend’s Home

Posted on July 3, 2014

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Two people are facing charges after a 13-year-old Omaha girl was injured by a shooting outside the home where she was staying.

Omaha police said the shooting happened around 3:20 a.m. Thursday.

Terije Carter was spending the night at a friend’s house near 40th and Browne streets in northeast Omaha. Witnesses say she was inside when the shooting happened.

The girl’s injuries are not considered life threatening.

Police arrested a 21-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy in the area. They were linked to the shooting after police questioned them.

The two men were arrested on suspicion of first-degree assault and weapons charges.

Mountain Lion Unintentionally Killed in Sioux County

Posted on July 3, 2014

LINCOLN – A mountain lion was found unintentionally killed in a snare in Sioux County on June 22, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.

The trap was set by U.S. Department of Agriculture APHIS Wildlife Services in an attempt to remove coyotes from a cattle pasture.

The gender of the animal could not be determined with certainty due to decomposition in the warm weather. Tooth measurements and pelt coloration are consistent with a sub-adult or young adult female. Final determination of the gender will be made through genetic analysis.

Anyone with trail camera photographs or other evidence of mountain lions should contact the agency.

Lincoln County Marriage Licenses (Week of June 30)

Posted on July 3, 2014

Dennis Lee Griffin, 63, Curtis NE and Lori Ann Johnson, 45, Curtis NE

Joshua Lee Jensen, 24, Maxwell NE and Stacy Ann Halkens, 23, Maxwell NE

Cole Morgan Stewart, 25, North Platte and Tara Michelle Shanahan, 30, North Platte

Jeremy Daniel Brosius, 25, North Platte and Alisha Marie Speceiro, 37, North Platte

Morgan Richard Maaske, 29, North Platte and Sara Lee Schultz, 38, North Platte

Chase Everett Nelson, 26, North Platte and Jayne Elizabeth Macomber, 25, North Platte

Brandon Aaron Kelliher, 44, North Platte and Terri Lynn Burchell, 47, North Platte

John William McCall III, 35, London OH and Anna Marie Holton, 29, London OH

Brandon Leigh Stickley, 28, Hershey NE and Brandi Nichole Mattox, 26, Hershey NE

Matthew Eugene Sale, 42, North Platte and Michele Renee’ Mai, 45, North Platte

Christopher Lee Bennett, 44, North Platte and Melissa Fern Betts, 37, North Platte

Scott Michael Wallace, 32, North Platte and Kara Ann Sandman. 40, North Platte

Ryan Phillip Araujo, 24, North Platte and Molly Kathryn Mendoza, 24, North Platte

Justin Dean Wood, 33, North Platte and Heather Dawn Baker, 27, North Platte

Justin Kraeg Story, 27, North Platte and Celsie Curren Contreras, 24, North Platte

David Graham Cooper, 24, North Platte and Rayla Dayne Mabbutt, 23, North Platte